Singaporeans do not require a visa to enter the Schengen area.
If you hold a Singaporean passport, you will not require a visa to enter the EU as long as your stay is no longer than 90 days within any 180 day period. If you are not a Singaporean passport holder you may need to obtain a "Schengen visa". Please refer to our Frequently Asked Questions to obtain further information.
Other nationals may need a Schengen visa. For more information on this, please check with your travel agent or the embassy of the EU country where you plan to spend the most time in.
The information below is not applicable for visas to EU countries outside of the Schengen area. If you are entering Bulgaria, Cyprus, Ireland, Romania or the United Kingdom, please check with the respective embassies on visa entry requirements
Competent Embassy or Consulate-General
The Embassy or Consulate-General of the country of the main destination is the authority which deals with visa applications. If the main destination cannot be determined, the application should be made to the embassy of the country in which the longest visit shall be. If the visits in different Schengen countries are of equal length, the first destination shall be the determining factor.
General information
The purpose of applying a visa requirement to citizens of certain countries is to control who can enter and visit Schengen countries. The Schengen countries normally decide collectively which nationalities the visa requirement will be applied to.
If you hold a residence card issued under EU regulations on free movement, you do not need a visa to enter EU Member States. This applies to both residence cards issued in accordance with Directive 2004/38/EC and residence cards issued before this directive took effect. This can be either a credit card size plastic card or a residence sticker in your passport.
A Schengen visa is not appropriate if you wish to remain in a Schengen country for longer than 3 months or take up employment or establish a business, trade or profession.
The issue of Schengen visas is discretionary and depends on the examination of each individual case, including purpose of visit and intention to return.
If you already hold a valid Schengen visa (if you have not used up all the days on the visa) and you wish to apply for a new visa, you must first have the valid visa cancelled by the issuing country's embassy.
FAQs
1. Which countries form part of the Schengen Area?
The Schengen area covers 26 countries ("Schengen States") without border controls between them. These countries are: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. These countries apply the common visa policy for short stay visas.
2. What is a Schengen visa?
- A transit through or an intended stay in the territory of the Schengen States of a duration of no more than 90 days in any 180 day period ("short stay visa").
- A transit through the international transit areas of airports of the Schengen States ("airport transit visa").
Generally the visa issued allows you to visit any of the Schengen States during the same trip, within the validity of the visa. A Schengen visa is not appropriate, if you wish to remain in a Schengen country for longer than 90 days, take up employment or establish a business, trade or profession.
3. I am a family member of an EU-citizen. Are the standard requirements applicable to me?
Family members of EU citizens who have exercised their right of free movement (meaning that the EU citizen resides in or travels to a Member State other than his/her country of origin) benefit from certain procedural facilitations. The basic criteria to be fulfilled are the following:
- The EU citizen has exercised his/her right of free movement
- The family member (applicant) belongs to one of the categories covered by Directive 2004/38/EC
- The family member (applicant) accompanies the EU citizen or joins him/her in the Schengen State of destination. For further information, consult our website, click here.
4. I have a valid long stay visa/residence permit for a country that is part of the Schengen area. Do I need another visa to travel to other Schengen states?
No. A long stay visa or a residence permit issued by a Schengen State allows you to travel or stay in other Schengen States, while respecting the maximum duration of a “short stay” (a stay of "90 days in any 180 day period").
